by Dolores Moore

Created on: November 16, 2009

Oh no! They were such a good fit in the shop when you tried them on, so comfortable and just gorgeous that you had to have them there and then. Is it too late to say that the best plan is to buy correctly fitting cowboy boots in the first place? To do this, you should really wait till the end of the day, when your feet have borne the weight of your body and all its activities for some hours, and so will have spread out to a larger size. That way, the boots will feel comfortable then and at all other times. But hey, it isn't too late to try some tricks to stretch those glorious cowboy boots for a comfortable fit.

When you find they appear to have shrunk, try stuffing them to the gills with balls of wet newspapers and leaving them to dry off for a while. Another suggestion is to stuff them with raw potato skins and leave overnight. My guess is, depending on the size of your feet, you might have to eat a lot of potatoes to get enough stuffing, as it were.

You may already own boot or shoe trees, those marvellous wooden contraptions that you can stretch to any size, place in the boots and let them expand the leather. This should work, especially if you spray the outside with a brand of shoe-stretching spray from the cobblers or supermarket. In fact, some cobblers, for a small charge, will take your cowboy boots and stretch them professionally. I had this done, and left them in the shop for a week. An alternative to a bought spray is just plain old water, which can be just as effective.

Try poking a round, wooden hairbrush handle inside the toes, rotating and stretching the leather. Or you could try wearing them around the house for short periods, no barn dancing or hikes, your feet will not thank you for such abuse. Do this after trying the stretching methods suggested above. If you find it really difficult to get your feet into those tight cowboy boots, try putting small plastic sandwich bags over your feel, then slide your feet into the boots and tear off the bags. This should help you get them on, as will nylon knee-highs.

If you are going to wear your boots in hot weather or at a hot venue, those feet are really going to sweat and swell, and the boots will get tighter. Try spreading a little bicarbonate of soda, talc or baby powder inside the cowboy boots, so the sweat is absorbed and you can get the boots off without too much hassle.

Keep your cowboy boots in shape by standing a bottle inside each boot, or rolled up newspapers will also make excellent boot trees. Don't forget to polish them well before wearing, and for added protection, finish off with a coat of floor wax and a good buff up with a soft brush. This applies to all new leather footwear, and is a good tip to bear in mind.

Like Nancy Sinatra said, "These boots were made for walking," so stretch them and care for them, get the right size to begin with, and you will be dancing on air.

Learn more about this author, Dolores Moore.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.